University of Richmond names new Dean of Admissions

Melissa Falk has been appointed associate vice president and dean of admission at the University of Richmond.

Falk has more than 30 years of experience in admission and financial aid and currently serves as the dean of admission and financial aid at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, her alma mater.

“I was drawn to the University of Richmond’s commitment to access and how Richmond strives to be an equitable community demonstrated through programs like The Richmond Guarantee, which provides financial support for internships and research to all undergraduate students,” Falk said.

Falk is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and under her leadership, Muhlenberg achieved its largest-ever percentage of domestic students of color, first-generation, and Pell-eligible students in 2022.

“Melissa has a history of building effective and collaborative partnerships with faculty, staff, students, and alumni,” said Stephanie Dupaul, vice president for Enrollment Management. “Melissa’s leadership will reinforce our commitment to and ability to recruit a diverse and outstanding student body from across the globe, and her dedication to access and affordability is a wonderful fit for Richmond, as we share these core values.”

“While recruitment and retention are at the core of the admission and financial teams, cross-campus partnerships play an important role in supporting these outcomes. I look forward to collaborating with students, faculty, and staff across the Spider community to amplify enrollment as a shared responsibility across academic and administrative departments,” Falk said.

Falk will begin her new position at the University of Richmond on July 3.